Ramblers Preston - About Us

We are the Preston Ramblers members of the national Ramblers Association.

The local Preston Ramblers, one of several local groups in the Mid Lancashire area, held its first committee meeting on 26th April 1979. It now has approximately 170 members and is dedicated to developing and maintaining the Public Right of Way network and promoting the aims of The Ramblers within

• Preston and
• Fullwood

and in the parishes of

• Barton,
• Broughton,
• Goosnargh,
• Grimsargh,
• Haighton,
• Lea,
• Whittingham and
• Woodplumpton.

Working hard to keep the footpath network clear, we liaise with all interested agencies within the area and work directly with Rights of Way Officers to ensure footpath obstruction and diversion orders are dealt with swiftly and to the benefit of the general public and walkers alike. Some of the activities include the following.

• Reporting footpath problems to local authorities and monitoring progress and any action taken
• Commenting on proposals to close, divert and create paths
• Looking for opportunities to extend the footpath network
• Comment on local authority plans/strategies where they refer to walking, e.g. Rights of Way Improvement Plans
• Collecting evidence for the addition of paths to the definitive map and defend the status of existing recorded paths
• Attending public inquiries either to present the Ramblers´ case or represent its interests
• Checking proofs of OS Explorer maps
• Organising regular footpath surveys

The footpath surveys are carried out by local volunteers to investigate the current state of the rights of way network.

We also organise led walks. These are not limited to just the Preston area but are generally organised in and around Lancashire, e.g. the valleys of the Ribble & the Lune, the Forest of Bowland, etc. and now and again we venture further afield into the Lakes and West Yorkshire. If you wish to join the Ramblers, the local group with which you are registered will be determined by your Post Code unless you wish to specify a particular local group preference.

Much of the organisation of the Preston Ramblers is accomplished by volunteers some of whom form the committee.